The Pioneer Woman Tasty Kitchen
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Lemon Basil Chicken Salad

4.80 Mitt(s) 5 Rating(s)5 votes, average: 4.80 out of 55 votes, average: 4.80 out of 55 votes, average: 4.80 out of 55 votes, average: 4.80 out of 55 votes, average: 4.80 out of 5

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Level: Easy

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Description

Yummy, tangy, flavorful chicken salad perfect on a bed of lettuce or in a pita.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups Cooked Chicken
  • 2 whole Lemons, Juiced And Zested
  • 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • ½ cups Mayonnaise
  • Salt And Pepper, to taste
  • 1 Tablespoon Prepared Pesto
  • ½ cups Green Peas
  • 12 whole Basil Leaves, Chiffonade (more To Taste)
  • ¼ cups Pine Nuts, Toasted
  • Salt And Pepper, to taste

Preparation

Mix together lemon juice, olive oil, mayonnaise, salt & pepper, and pesto until creamy and smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings as you’d like.

Combine chicken, peas, basil, and pine nuts in a bowl and stir together. Pour on dressing to taste and toss to combine. Add 1 tablespoon lemon zest and squeeze in lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Toss to combine and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve over lettuce with grapes on the side!

2 Comments

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lightofhope on 7.1.2012

I made this today for lunch and my husband doesn’t like things real sour so I only used juice from 1 lemon and NO zest. I found it to still be very tart, so I ended up having to add not only another 1/2 c mayo, but a tbsp of liquid sugar in the raw. I thought it was good at that point, except the pine nuts I used had a fairly strong and different flavor and I wondered if that was normal for the pine nuts, or if maybe they were too old? I’ve had them for a year or two.

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Kay Marshall on 6.28.2012

I made this for dinner last night and it was a hit. Very good and it’s not always easy to please my husband! I had the salad on lettuce and I made his into a sandwich. Wonderful!!:)

5 Reviews

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Tabby on 1.24.2013

Light, easy, and refreshing, but I found that even without adding the zest the lemon flavor overwhelmed everything else. I’ll probably use about half as much juice next time, but there will definitely be a next time.

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Katie on 1.23.2013

I love this. Easy to make and very refreshing taste. I will be making this often!

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Kay Marshall on 6.28.2012

I made this for dinner last night and it was a hit. And it’s not always easy to please my husband, but the enjoyed! I made mine on lettuce and made his into a sandwich which he totally enjoyed!:)

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mkt5529 on 6.27.2012

Yum, yum, yum! Eating it as a sandwich on a croissant right now! Perfect combination of lemon and basil.

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Sunni DeNicola on 6.18.2012

This was just amazing; it is going to be a new summer standard. I wanted a chicken salad that didn’t have much mayonnaise and this is perfect. I love the lemon and basil combination. It is beyond delicious and so easy to make. Love the crunch of pine nuts (I toasted them) added to the texture. Perfect with a crisp white wine. Thanks Ree!

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